English (United States) 
"Celebrating our vow" from the Spring 2018 Vision Newsletter
Confirmation is that act of blessing in which young New Apostolic Christians take upon themselves the obligations their parents undertook on their behalf at their Holy Baptism and Holy Sealing. From then on, these Christians, who have reached a point of spiritual maturity, bear full responsibility before God for everything they do or neglect to do. They commit themselves to resist Satan and remain faithful to God in front of Him and the congregation with the words:
I renounce Satan and all his work and ways, and surrender myself to You, O triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in belief, obedience, and the earnest resolution to remain faithful to You until my end. Amen.
The confirmation blessing happens only once, but the vow is something we are expected to keep alive every day. When we are mindful of these words, we constantly renew our endeavor to avoid evil and ungodly things, and diligently follow the path of the gospel. When we keep the promises we made in this vow, we are true to our belief in the triune God and our intention to conduct our lives in faith and obedience toward God. Every day, we strive to transform our nature using Jesus as our example.
Being in charge of our own spiritual lives is a responsibility. God expects us to keep growing in and discovering more about our relationship with God, so that He becomes the most important part of our lives. While each of us has to go on our own spiritual journey, that does not mean we are alone. The congregation and the Church are here to help each one along. Salvation is offered in fellowship, and it is in this community that we can support each other on our journeys.
This spirit of being unified in our journey and vow to God gives way to a unique experience. As we heard in the beginning-ofthe- year message from the District Apostle, because making the confirmation vow has shifted from the year the student turns 14 to when they are in 10th or 11th grade, there will be a couple of years when youth will not be confirmed.
However, we still want to celebrate and remember the essence of Confirmation. This is the reason there is a Confirmation celebratory service scheduled for May 6. It will be an opportunity for those of all ages that have been confirmed to reflect on the vow they’ve made to Christ and the blessing they received upon that vow. It will be a way for us to keep encouraging one another to grow, and deepen our relationships with each other and God.